


Lost Boys

by DawnsEternalLight



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Bonding, Gen, Reflection, based on music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 02:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7295428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim reflects on his relationship with his family. Short fic</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Boys

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by an ask for a story tied in with the song Lost Boy.

“You lost boy?”

The voice came from nowhere, and everywhere in every accent and tone on every street corner. Tim ignored them all as he walked fury lacing his steps, putting out an aura that suggested words but prohibited touch. He might be lost, but not in the city, never in the city. He knew Gotham like the back of his hand, mapped it, walked it, fought in it.

 _All that knowledge, and yet this place still doesn’t feel like home._  

He bristled at the thought. It was true. Or was it? 

He paused to look up at the buildings that scraped the sky, the puff of his breath a thin veil between him and the view, and his mind flashed back to that night when he’d first known, really known who Batman and Robin were.

He could see them now, flying across the space between buildings. The impossible bat and the laughing Grayson. He’d known the move that Dick had used better than he’d known himself back then. He’d played it over a hundred times in his head. After that the connections came easily, the answers always came easily to him.

His sharp mind was always getting him into things, and never really out of them. Sure he’d outsmarted countless villains, but when it came to important things, even Tim Drake couldn’t think himself out of most messes. He’d only think himself deeper.

He couldn’t stop thinking, couldn’t stop obsessing, picking apart the details and trying to see what was real. Wallowing, Dick would call it. Beating yourself up, Jason would say. Tt, it’s not that hard, Damian would spout.

And they’d all be right. But Tim didn’t care. He’d fought for this, pulled out all the stops to prove to Batman that he belonged, and at last he’d made it, the R was his and nothing could take it away. Until…

“Drake."

Damian would show up. He would try to apologize in his insulting, greater than thou, I’m saying sorry because it’s proper not because I actually care, way.

“Go away, Demon Spawn. I’m still mad at you.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Tim spun on the youngest Robin. The Usurper. The Blood Son. Scalding words resting on the tip of his tongue; all the reasons they’d never really be brothers, all the reasons he was more of a son to Bruce than Damian had ever been, all the reasons he was angry; ready to boil out in a well-deserved flood.

All those reasons dried up the moment he saw his baby brother’s face.

His mind flashed back to the day they’d met, Damian’s arrival had been a trap that much Tim had been sure of. He’d been less likely to believe that Damian was actually Bruce’s son, and had called his adopted father out on the fact.

“If he is my son, or even if he’s not. He deserves some love and respect,” Bruce had said. Tim hadn’t understood it then, but he thought he did now.

Behind the anger and the bluster and the fighting Tim and Damian were much the same. They were both a little lost, searching for their place in this world, and neither had been in control of the circumstances that had brought them to where they were. Both were taken in not because of blood, but because they needed Bruce.

Before Tim could respond a taller figure dropped between them, facing Tim, “Timmers, I know the Demon Brat can be-” He stopped when at Tim’s prompting he turned to see, “Damian? What are you doing here?”

Damian clicked his tongue and frowned, “What does it look like, Todd?”

Jason looked between the two of them and shrugged, “Continue your earlier fight? Tim looks angrier than before.”

Damian most certainly did not stomp his foot in irritation, at least that’s what Tim would be sworn to say later on if he valued his toes, “If you think that’s the reason I came then your more of an idiot than I thought, Todd.”

It was only a matter of time before Dick strolled up to them a cocky grin on his face, “I leave you all to apologize for five minutes and what do you do, start fighting again? Don’t make me initiate a group hug.”

Tim wanted to be irritated that none of his brothers seemed to understand the words ‘leave me alone’ but he couldn’t bring himself to feel the emotion. Instead he smiled. What good was putting himself down with he had three irritating brothers who refused to let him stay that way?

“Can you guys finish this conversation on the way home?”

“Are you coming with us?” Jason asked.

“Without a fight?” Tim wasn’t sure if Damian seemed happy or sad about that prospect.

“Yes. We’d better get moving before the Bat himself shows up to bring me home,” Tim sighed, “I can only imagine the social media buzz that would happen if all the Wayne’s were found wandering around Gotham’s streets in the middle of the night only to be picked up by Batman.”

Dick grinned, “Maybe we should find out?”

“Oh, good idea. I should call in a tip myself, I can see the headlines now, Wyane Brother’s Picked up by Batman Is Arkham Their Next Stop?” Jason said rubbing his hands together.

“I’m sure Father would be annoyed at that,” Damian frowned.

Tim nodded, “More than annoyed, he’d be livid. Now come on, we can stop for ice cream on the way back or something.”

**Author's Note:**

> For reference (if anyone's curious) the Batman quote was from Batman Issue 657 or part 3 of the Batman and Son arc.


End file.
